Bundle or package carrier.



H. S. THOMAS.

BUNDLE OR PAGKAG-E CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1909.

1,75,99'Z Patented 0011.14, 1913.

WITNESSES lNVENTOf? 63W ATTORNEYS hurrah is'rarns earner orrrca.

HERBERT S. THOMAS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUNDLE 0R PACKAGE CARRIER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Bundle or Package Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a bundle or package carrier, the salient feature of which is a clamping member adjustable independently of a strap for the purpose, mainly, of increasing or decreasing the carrying capacity of the device.

In one practical embodiment of the invention, said clamping member is composed of elastic material adapted to exert tension upon the different parts composing the package or bundle, whereby the bundle is held securely in the strap without injury to the bundle, and at the same time said clamping member may be pulled by hand, Without adjusting the strap, for the purpose of removing a part of the bundle from the strap or of inserting other parts into the bundle. Furthermore, it is not desired to limit the invention to a clamping member composed of elastic material, for the rea son that it may be a leather strap, a fabric webbing, or of other non-extensible pliable material; but in a preferred embodim nt, said clamping member is connected at both ends adjustably to the main strap so that one end of said clamping member may be adjusted independently of the other end, and vice versa. This results in certain practical advantages, chief among which is the fact that the strap may be pulled first on one side and then on the other so as to tighten the device firmly around the bundle or package, an increased purchase being obtainable on the strap when the clamping member is taut.

Hy device may be used as a carrier for any and all kinds of packages or bundles which it may be desired to transport by hand, the device being constructed to produce a handle for conveniently carrying the bundle.

One of the important uses of the device is for carrying school books which are adapt ed to be firmly bound into a compact package, and without subjecting the books to injury by bending the edges or backs thereof, particularly large flat books of a flexible nature, more or less. The elastic mem- Specifioation of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 8, 1909.

Patented Get. 1A, 1913.

Serial No. 500,882.

ber retains the books, etc., under tension in the loop of a strap, and said member is adapted to be stretched or elongated, by hand, for the purpose of inserting addi tional books into the package or of removmg one or more books therefrom, these ends being attained easily and quickly, and without adjusting said elastic member relatively to the hinder or main strap of the device.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of carrier applied to a package, the latter being herein shown as composed of a number of books. Fig. 2 is a view of the carrier in side elevation, the bundle or package being omitted.

My carrier consists of a main member, A, and a clamping member, B. In a practical form of the invention shown in the drawings, the main member is a non-extensible pliable strap composed of leather, fabric webbing, or any other appropriate material. At one end said main member is provided with a buckle, a, attached permanently to the doubled part, a. Through the buckle, a, is adapted to be passed the other or free end, 0 of the main member, whereby said mem her, A, is adapted to form a loop, the ends of which are connected adjustably by buckle, a.

Clamping member, B, may be composed of a strap of non-flexible material, such as leather or fabric webbing; but in a preferred form of the invention said clamping member is composed of elastic material, such as rubber or rubber fabric. The clamping member is adapted to span the loop or main strap, A, or to extend from side to side of said strap, as shown in Fig. 2. Said clamping member has its respective ends connected to the opposite sides of main strap, A, and this connection is effect-ed preferably by buckles, C, D. Each buckle is shown as having a loop, 0, adapted for the reception of an end portion of clamping member, B; and, furthermore, each buckle has another loop, (Z, and a tongue, d. The loops, (Z, of buckles C, D, are fitted on the main strap, A, and the tongues, d, are adjusted into engagement with openings, 6, of the main strap, whereby the respective ends of clamping strap, B, are connected to the main strap for adjustment with respect thereto, one end of the clamping strap, B,

. being adjustable independently of the other end of said clamping strap, and vice versa.

As shown in Fig. 2, the elastic strap is shown as doubled or endless, and the end portions of said elastic strap are fitted loosely in the loops, 0, of buckles, C, D, but obviously, the buckles may bevattached to the respective ends of an elastic strap in other ways than the methods illustrated in the drawings. A single ply of elastic material may be'employed for the clamping member, but when an elastic clamping memher is employed, I prefer to useone composed of doubled material because of the increased strength secured by an elastic strap of this kind. The elastic strap, B, is in cooperative relation to a looped part of the non-extensible strap, A, but obviously, the space between the looped part of the nonextensible strap, A, and elastic strap, B, may

be varied by adjusting buckle, C or D, or.

both buckles, with respect to strap, A.

As heretofore stated, the carrier maybe employed in connection with any kind of bundle or package, but as shown in Fig. l, the carrier is adjusted to a number of books. The books are slipped into position between the looped part of strap, A, and the elastic strap, B. Should it be desired to tighten the elastic strap around the package, the operator grasps one side of strap, A, above buckle, G or D, and pulls downwardly on said strap so that the tongue of the buckle may be inserted in a fresh hole of strap, A. Should the tension be insufficient after such adjustment, then the other side of strap, A, may be pulled downwardly with respect to the other buckle and then the tongue of the buckle inserted in another hole of strap, A.

Either or both of these adjustments operate to distend the elastic strap, whereby said strap operates to place tension on the looped part of strap, A, and on the interposed pacle.

age or bundle. Under these circumstances the parts composing the bundle are held firmly within straps, A and B, but should it become desirable to remove one part from the bundle, the operator can pull the elastic strap upward sufliciently for the withdrawal of said part, or another part of the bundle can be inserted below the elastic strap. Such insertion or removal of a part of the package may be efiected without manipulating either of the buckles, C or D, but at the same time, the elastic strap will, when released,exert the required tension upon the parts of the bundle or package to preclude displacement thereof. The upper free part of strap, A, united by buckle, 64, serves as a handle for conveniently carrying the bundle.

While I have described my carrier as adapted for use in connection with any kind of bundle or package, it is desired to state that said carrier has been found to be very useful as a means for, holding together a number of booksto be carried by school children. It is well known that the books vary in size and that some of the books are of a flexible nature. The elastic strap is particularlyv advantageous in carrying bundles of this kind, for the reason that the books are not broken. or injured, and the flexible books .can be held securely in the bundle without doubling or folding them around other books in the package.

Another. advantage of the device is that it may be used in carrying cakes of ice. or other large objects. Evidently the elastic strap can be placed'under tension so as to grip the devicefirmly aroundthe ice cake, after which the handle portion of the strap will enable the ice to be carried without bringing the hands of the operator into direct contact-with the ice.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to. secure by Letters Patent is:

A collapsible package carrier comprising a fiexiblestrap theends of'which are free so that said strap may be looped around packages ofvarying sizes, an elastic clamping strap doubled upon itself and'positioned within the, loop of said flexible strap, two buckles connected to the respective end portions of said doubled elastic strap, said buckles being slidably fitted to the respective side portions of the flexible. strap and operating to adjustably attach the respective end portions of said elasticstrap to the respective side portions of the flexible strap whereby the elastic strap may be. stretched and shifted to exert'pressure upon the package, and coupling means for the free ends of the flexible strap, said coupling means being separate. from said buckles.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT S. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

JAs. H. GRIFFIN, M. C. PownLL.

Copies of this patent may he obtained, for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

